Will McDonald reminded Jets fans why he's their best pass rusher

The New York Jets added David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, after signing both Kingsley Enagbare and Joseph Ossai in free agency. While those moves bolstered the edge room in a positive way, Will McDonald is a player who's been consistently questioned by fans.

And it took him just one game to prove that he's once again this team's best pass rusher. In the win over the Titans, he was dominant. He finished with five pressures, four hurries, and recorded a sack with his patented spin move. According to Pro Football Focus, McDonald was ranked third among edge rushers in pressure percentage (27.8).

While there are questions around McDonald's ability to be a full-time player due to his run defense, it's evident that he's their best pass rusher, and Week 1 was just the latest example.

New York Jets fans need to realize Will McDonald is the team's best edge rusher

On PFF, McDonald posted an 80.7 overall grade (14th among 105 graded edge rushers) and an 80.8 pass rush grade (9th among 105 graded edge rushers). For one of the few times in McDonald's Jets career, they were playing with a lead in the second half. That allowed him to tee off on the opposing tackle and focus strictly on getting after the quarterback.

In that script, McDonald is at his best. He's a pure pass rusher, and if he were on a team that could consistently put him in those situations, his production would increase even more. No matter what fans say about his run defense, he can get after the quarterback at a high rate, and you need that in this league.

When push comes to shove, McDonald knows how to generate pressure and get after the quarterback. Are there things you would want him to improve upon? Yes, of course, but that doesn't take away from his biggest strength. And when you want to play meaningful football, you need guys like this on your team.

Jets have high hopes for Bailey, but as of now, McDonald is still this team's best pure pass rusher. If New York can put this defense in similar positions as they did in Week 1, fans are in for a treat to see what McDonald can do.

In 2024, he finished with 10.5 sacks; then last year, he had eight sacks. They didn't have more than five wins in either season, showcasing that they were trailing in the bulk of those games. Those situations forced McDonald into being more of a run defender than a pass rusher, and he STILL was able to get in the backfield.

With him being in Year 4, he has more moves in his repertoire and knows how to attack offensive linemen. Even though some discourse by fans around him has been whether the team should trade him or not, the Iowa State product has a rare trait that is valued in this league. And he put that on full display against the Titans, stamping that he's the top guy off the edge.

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